Ariel stood before the white throne, his head bowed, pouring his heart out before the Lord.
Speaking on Nikki’s behalf.
Then, finally, he raised his head and looked toward the blinding white light and spoke these final words,
“Most High, hear my plea. Send me into the Abyss and provide for her someone worthy of Your name. Someone who can protect her.”
Then, like a man convicted of a crime, ready to receive his sentence, Ariel knelt before the throne, bowed his head, and closed his eyes.
Nikki heard a collective gasp throughout the great hall. Nikki knew nothing of the affairs of angels. But from the reaction of the assembly, she understood one thing: no angel had EVER asked to be cast into the Abyss.
A loud rumble of thunder erupted from the sacred cloud above the throne. The cloud murmured loudly, with tongues of fire flickering. The thunder rumbled, echoed, then dissipated throughout the great room.
A hush fell upon the room. Then a complete silence. Not a sound. Not a breath. All eyes on Ariel. Kneeling before the throne, his head bowed, waiting.
Then another voice filled the room.
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU SEE?” a voice boomed.
Ariel stirred slightly. The entire room snapped to attention.
It was the Word. The One who walked in the garden. The Alpha and Omega.
It was Jesus. He had risen from His golden throne and was walking toward Ariel.
Jesus came and stood beside the kneeling angel. Then He slowly turned, with his arms extended out wide, surveying the great assembly. His gaze moved across the countless angelic host.
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU SEE?” His voice thundered throughout the great room.
The question lingered in the air.
Then, silence.
Then Jesus bellowed once again:
“WHO DO YOU SEE?”
The foundations of the room trembled. Above the thrones, the living cloud rumbled and groaned, flashes of fire illuminating the assembly.
Again, silence.
“Do you see a failure? A weakling? A diminutive?”
Jesus looked down upon Ariel, then back toward the assembly.
“NO! I tell you this. Among the angels, this one stands taller than many here today!”
Ariel heard the words: This one stands taller than many here today. But his mind struggled to comprehend them. He was stunned.
He remained kneeling, his head bowed and eyes closed.
And he listened.
Jesus paused for a moment, then continued.
“Did not the sons of Jesse pass before the prophet Samuel? Strong men. Handsome men. Men who appeared worthy of the Lord's anointing?”
“Yet the Lord passed over them all.”
“And whom did He choose?”
“YES! A little shepherd boy named David!”
Jesus turned toward the assembly.
“A KING!”, Jesus shouted.
The cloud above the thrones rumbled, its thunder slowly fading into silence.
“WHO DO YOU SEE?”
“A little shepherd boy? Or the Lord’s anointed?'
Ariel's heart sank at the gravity of the moment. Yet somewhere deep within him, a tiny spring of hope began to rise. His mind wanted to question what he was hearing.
Was Jesus comparing him to David?
Jesus continued His slow turn, addressing the entire assembly.
“And what of Samson? The mighty Judge of Israel?”
When Ariel heard Samson’s name, he opened his eyes in surprise.
For the first time, he looked directly at Jesus. Watching Him as he continued to speak.
“Did not Samson fall? Was he not betrayed, beaten, blinded, and imprisoned? His eyes gouged out by Philistine dogs?”
“Was Samson a failure?”
“NO!”
“I tell you, Samson is counted among the great men of faith!”
Jesus paused, then continued His slow turn, addressing the assembly.
“Samson, in his strength, was made weak.” Jesus shouted.
Jesus looked outward across the assembly.
“Let those with ears hear my words.”
“Many here today are strong.
Like Samson, you revel in your beauty, in your prowess, your strength, in all the Lord has given you.
“And like Samson, in your strength, you are made weak."
Then Jesus' voice softened slightly.
“But Samson, in his weakness, was made strong.”
Jesus stopped turning.
“When Samson lay in defeat, helpless, blind, ridiculed, broken and alone, he came to understand his own weakness. His own failure."
“From the depths of prison, he cried out to God.”
“O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one blow I may avenge my two eyes upon the Philistines.”
“And the Lord heard him.”
“In his final act, Samson surrendered everything. Even his own life.”
Jesus looked across the assembly once more.
“Was Samson merely a blind weakling? Or was he the Lord’s anointed?”
Silence.
Then Jesus turned toward Ariel as he spoke.
“WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE TODAY?”
“A failure?”
“A weakling?”
“NO!”
“I tell you, this one, kneeling here today before the Lord, is a Samson!”
And for the second time, Nikki heard a gasp move through the great assembly.
Jesus looked directly at Ariel. Their eyes met. And Jesus spoke directly to him.
“In your weakness, I am made strong.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Jesus turned toward Uriel the Archangel.
“Uriel, go to My Father’s storehouse and bring to Me the sword, breastplate, and shield of Samson, the Judge of Israel.”
Immediately, Uriel flew like a flash of lightning, blazing across the heavenly sky. Then just as quickly, a mighty crack of thunder followed, echoing through the great room, as Uriel returned.
In his hands, Uriel carried the breastplate, shield, and sword of Samson, bearing the crest of the Tribe of Dan.
Uriel knelt before Jesus and presented the weapons. Then quickly returned to his podium.
Ariel looked upon the shield, breastplate, and sword.
Samson never wore them. He could kill a thousand men with his bare hands. He had no need for them.
Ariel knew, they belonged to Samson.
He recognized the serpent wrapped around the sword’s hilt and the antique turquoise-blue crest on the breastplate and shield.
Ariel lowered his head again. Daring not to speak. Not daring even to think.
Jesus again addressed the assembly.
“WHAT DO YOU SEE?”
“Like the mighty Samson, in his weakness this one will be made strong.”
Jesus looked down at Ariel.
“He has never wavered.”
“He has never relented.”
“He has NEVER retreated.”
“He has fought hordes of the Enemy. He has been overpowered, beaten, poisoned, maimed, and humiliated for My name’s sake.”
“And through it all, he has remained faithful.”
Jesus paused.
“He has even offered himself as a living sacrifice. Willingly surrendering himself to the Abyss, to be cast aside for all eternity.”
“FOR THIS WOMAN!”
As Jesus uttered those words, He turned and pointed directly toward Nikki, standing at the back of the room.
Nikki snapped to attention.
For the first time, His gaze was upon her. His eyes were kind, yet piercing. Kind, like a mother looking upon her beloved child. Piercing, because Jesus SAW her.
Not merely the woman standing before Him.
He saw everything. Her heart. Her soul. Her brokenness.
The things she had done. The things that had been done to her. The things she had never spoken aloud.
All of it.
Nikki had spent a lifetime believing there were things about her that made her unworthy of love.
Yet standing there, looking into His eyes, she felt no condemnation.
He knew. He knew EVERYTHING. And He loved her.
For the first time in her life, Nikki KNEW. Without any doubt, she KNEW that HE loved her anyway.
She could feel it. Deep inside her.
The entire angelic host slowly turned to look at her.
Jesus continued speaking, His gaze still fixed upon Nikki.
This time His voice was soft.
“He NEVER retreated. He NEVER left his post. He has faithfully defended YOU with his life.”
“And here today, he has offered his own life for YOUR sake.”
Nikki looked toward Ariel. He remained kneeling, his head bowed.
The angel she had watched endure relentless beatings, the one who had fought so desperately on her behalf, now knelt silently before the Lord.
Jesus turned back toward Ariel. The entire assembly watched as He approached the kneeling angel.
Jesus lifted the breastplate of Samson and placed it over Ariel’s head, lowering it gently onto his shoulders. He placed the shield of Samson into Ariel’s hand.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Jesus spoke.
“Samson prayed to the Lord for vengeance against those responsible for taking his sight.”
“Vengeance is Mine,” Jesus said. “I shall repay.”
He held Samson’s sword before Ariel.
“With Samson’s own sword, the Lord will fulfill Samson’s final request.”
“There is more work to be done, My son.”
“You are the Lord’s anointed.”
Jesus extended the sword toward Ariel.
“Arise my son.”
“Take this sword, and remember: The Lord Is With You."
In your weakness, you have been made strong.”
Then Jesus placed the sword of Samson, the mighty Judge of Israel, into Ariel’s hands.
Ariel looked down at the sword. The sword with the golden serpent coiled around its hilt.
Jesus turned toward Nikki and said to her,
“My grace is sufficient for you.”
Jesus held His gaze upon her. Nikki could not speak.
There were a thousand things she wanted to say. A thousand questions she wanted to ask. But standing there, looking into His eyes, none of them seemed to matter.
He knew.
He knew and He loved her. She knew it.
Then Jesus spoke.
“Ariel, Take this woman home. It is not yet time for her to be gathered to her people.”
Ariel stepped forward, wearing Samson’s breastplate, holding his shield in one hand, and his sword in the other.
Jesus looked toward Nikki one final time.
And with a single word, He issued His command:
“GO!”
Suddenly, Nikki felt herself falling.
It was as though a trap door had opened beneath her feet.
She plunged downward, free-falling through a dark corridor, faster and faster, hurtling toward Earth like a comet falling from the heavens.
(To be continued)